Chapter 16

  Plans Manifest(?) (II)

  Precisely four servants brought a cartload (or three) of stuff up the mountain as early as the crack of dawn.

  It was... beautiful indeed.

  But there was a problem. A big, big problem.

  "This is all?" I asked.

  "Hm? Yes, this is all. We have delivered--"

  "Hey."

  "What?" Wow. Wow, wow, wow. This kid was barely in the third stage of Qi Condensation, and look at how he's behaving!

  "... do you want me to cripple you?"

  "H-huh?"

  "You have precisely two hours to bring the rest of the stuff," though I am not a violent man; sometimes you just have to put down your foot. I think so, I guess. "If you don't, I'll cripple all four of you and have you tossed out of the Sect."

  "W-what do you mean, Elder?" The leading man, a sallow-faced 'youth', seemed to cringe and stutter for a moment before recollecting. "This is everything we've been given." Ah. These shitheads. Trying to pass it off, huh?

  "Do you think I care?" Two can play that game, you dullards. "This is what I was promised," I handed them a note. "If I don't have it within two hours, your journey to whatever dreams you have ends today. Now, I can afford to not have the rest of the promised stuff," Not really. "But can you afford to stop here?"

  Here's the thing--though Lu Qi was an absolute waste of a person... he was actually quite a coward. He only lorded over people he knew had no particular backing. So, a lot of the disciples of other Elders didn't give him any face because he never dared to do anything, fearing other Elders might challenge him to a duel.

  Thus, my current little outburst must have come as a major shocker for them. But I still don't care. No! I can't afford to care! Do you know how bad this is?!

  They've only brought five mid-quality spirit stones, a hundred low-quality ones, and practically half the promised plaster, lumber, and rice! It's one thing to tax the delivery by taking a few stones, but Jesus Christ, dude, this is worse than wartime taxation!

  Not that I would know what wartime taxation felt like; the closest I ever got to such conflict was looking at it through the screen.

  Khm.

  Anyway, under my heavy, unblinking eyes, the four disciples scurried away. Truth be told, I don't know whether it was they who took it or some other middleman. It was entirely possible that they did take just a few stones, and some other jackass, well, jacked the delivery and took the rest. But what of it? Even if it was someone else, I'll raise enough hell until Elder Qin steps forward and sees what was done.

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  As someone who'd sooner die than stand on the side of injustice, he'll ensure I get my stuff.

  Now, granted, in that scenario, there's a good chance that every living being in the Sect will loathe me more than they do their nemesises--nemesis? Nemeses? One of those, I'm certain. The point being, this was like slamming a head into a brick wall--I can only hope that the wall isn't too thick and that my head isn't too brittle.

  "Is everything okay, Master?" A voice woke me from my daydream, prompting me to look back. As soon as I laid my eyes on him, they twitched; goddammit, kid, fourth stage already?! Why don't you just piss all over other geniuses in the world, huh?!

  "Everything's fine," I said. I just realized that I never passed the cultivation method (or the martial arts) onto the kid. Now, obviously, he didn't need them; but for the sake of pretending, it must be done. "Forget about this. How about your Master teaches you Sect's arts today? I think you are ready."

  "... sure." Wow. His tone is even worse than those who brought the carts.

  "Khm," I led him back inside and started rattling off. I mean, he would get it no matter how I conveyed it, so there was no point in trying to be super academic about it. "Sect's primary cultivation method is called 'Spirit Sword Harmony', per the sect's name. It has five stages in total, and today I will pass on to you the first stage, which can be used until Foundation Establishment. Once you break through, I will pass on to you the second stage.

  "Spirit Sword Harmony asks you to guide Qi through the meridians in such a way..."

  Anyway, within half an hour, I 'passed on' the method as well as three Martial Arts--one movement, one attacking, and one defensive art. They were all Mortal-tier, likely worse than trash in Long Tao's eyes, but if he wanted to emulate being a disciple of this place, he'd have to use them.

  I just pray he doesn't 'accidentally' improve upon them. Please, please, just win in a normal manner! That's all I ask!

  "Lu Qi, you bastard, get the hell out where I can see you!!!" Oi, hey. That's one angry dude.

  Judging by the Qi outburst, he was quite some ways stronger than me. Ah--this must be the guy who took my crap. Alright, let's put on a brave face. Yep, a brave face.

  I left the house and faced the newcomer--he was rather burly and tall. I mean, tall tall, like six-six at least. The robes were practically coming apart at their seams, incapable of holding the frame. Yep. One punch from him will be enough to make me into a pancake.

  The idiot in front of me, according to the memories, is Elder Zhou, middle stage of the Spirit Manifestation Realm, and my nemesis. While most other Elders merely loved to preach to Lu Qi, this guy loved 'venting out'. Oh boy.

  "Ah, there you are! How dare you threaten to cripple my disciples?! Is your wish to die today, you bastard?!" Wow. This guy's not holding back. Okay, there are two avenues here--put on a brave face, which ain't gonna happen, or hide behind my backing.

  "What's wrong with that?" I said. "Elder Qin has personally given me those things, and suddenly, half of them are missing. Should I doubt Elder Qin? That Elder Qin?"

  "H-huh?" Yep, he really was a proper idiot. While extremely talented in cultivation and quite strong at that, capable of even cross-realm fighting, Elder Zhou was perhaps even stupider than Lu Qi. No, not perhaps--definitely.

  "As I said, those were gifts from Elder Qin, not loans from the Sect," I emphasized clearly. "Yet some snotty-nosed Disciples dared steal it. I wanted to resolve it peacefully, but if I went to inform Elder Qin, what do you think would happen?"

  "... they'd be killed."

  "Quartered and hung, presented as an example."

  "... they really are gifts?" All the raging momentum he had diminished. Elder Zhou wouldn't behave this way if it were any other Elder--perhaps even Sect Master wouldn't make him behave like a wet puppy. But if there was one man in the sect that could control this rager, it was Elder Qin. It wasn't (entirely) because Elder Zhou was afraid--it was more that Elder Qin was the only man he respected.

  "They really are," I nodded.

  "... I'll bring them back," he said, his shoulders slumped. "I--I mean, I'll investigate those darn Disciples and make sure they give you your stuff back!"

  "... alright." Wow. He really is the epitome of stupidity, isn't he?